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Fabrication of smart lightweight multifunctional fly ash-cellulose xerogels: one material addressing four environmental challenges

Lookup NU author(s): Sunanda Roy, Dr Kheng-Lim GohORCiD

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Abstract

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2026. Each year, millions of tons of fly ash (FA), a hazardous byproduct of coal-fired power plants, are disposed of in landfills, causing serious environmental pollution and substantial health risks. Consequently, effective FA management has become critically important. Despite its popularity in the construction sector, FA has rarely been used in advanced applications, including heat management, CO2 capture and mitigation, and wastewater purification. This paper reports the successful development of durable, lightweight, multifunctional and smart xerogels derived from FA. The FA was chemically modified and blended with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), a binder, and a crosslinker to enhance structural stability and multifunctionalities. Notably, the developed xerogel (P-FA/P-CNF) achieved a compressive strength of 399.5 ± 12.6 kPa, while its Young’s modulus (274.1 ± 9.8 kPa), obtained from the initial linear elastic region, reflects a 99% increase in strength and a 61.1% increase in modulus compared to pure CNF xerogel. Moreover, it exhibited an excellent thermal conductivity of 32.1 mW/m K and a CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.67 mmol/g, both superior to many state-of-the-art materials. Moreover, the xerogel performed extremely well in selectively removing both cationic and anionic dyes from water. These results highlight the effectiveness of our formulation and design approach in producing a robust multifunctional xerogel. With its simple fabrication process, lightweight structure, mechanical robustness and multifunctionality, the developed xerogel emerges as an attractive solution for wastewater management, CO2 mitigation and building insulation.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Roy S, Nandi S, Ghosh BD, Goh KL

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Cellulose

Year: 2026

Pages: Epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 11/06/2026

Acceptance date: 14/05/2026

ISSN (print): 0969-0239

ISSN (electronic): 1572-882X

Publisher: Springer Nature

URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-026-07087-z

DOI: 10.1007/s10570-026-07087-z

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